Improving Senior Nutrition with Soft, Easy Meals

Seniors face challenges with nutrition for a variety of different reasons, including issues with chewing and swallowing that make eating feel impossible. Dental issues, health issues that cause swallowing issues, and other difficulties mean that families need to find other options to keep seniors from dealing with malnutrition. Senior home care providers can help in so many different ways, ensuring that seniors enjoy the foods they eat and get the nutrition they need.

 

Why Are Softer Meals Important for Seniors?

When seniors lose teeth or have other problems that make chewing more difficult, foods that they were able to eat easily in the past may become tougher to eat or even unsafe for them. Softer foods help to minimize risk factors. These types of foods also help seniors to eat comfortably and allow them to enjoy eating.

The right mix of soft foods offers a nutritional balance for seniors, helping them get the protein, vitamins, and other nutrients they need. Senior home care providers mean that seniors can get help without having to leave their homes to do so.

 

Include Tender Protein Sources

Protein is one of the most important pieces to include in any senior diet. Protein helps seniors to keep their immune systems strong and is also essential for maintaining muscle tone.

While animal-based proteins might seem difficult on a soft diet, proper preparation can help a lot. For instance, baking fish or cooking chicken or other meats until they’re soft is a good idea. Other sources of protein, like beans and lentils, are very soft and easy to eat once cooked.

 

Opt for Soups and Purees as Main Courses

Making soups, stews, and purees is also a great idea for a main course. These types of foods often contain foods from each of the main food groups, too, and since they cook for longer periods of time, they’re often very tender and easy to eat. These are also great suggestions for seniors who have a difficult time staying hydrated.

Senior home care providers can make a big batch of soup, for example, and freeze individual servings for seniors to eat later.

 

Go with Softer Grains and Mashed Side Dishes

Sometimes seniors want to see a plate that looks familiar to them, like what they might have eaten in the past. The key, as they’re having more difficulty eating some of these foods, can often be cooking vegetables, grains, and other side dishes until they’re very soft. Mashing them and including a gravy or sauce can also help.

 

Softer Desserts and Fruits Are Important, Too

Seniors need to get nutrition rather than empty calories, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t want a sweet treat now and again. Preparing fruits in a way that softens them is one option. Making a compote of berries or pureeing melons and other fruits can offer all of the nutrients and fiber of the fruits without making them difficult to eat.

Including desserts that are soft and easy to eat while also boosting the nutritional value ensures that seniors get the sweets they want, but the nutrients they need.

 

Senior home care providers offer a lot of hands-on support for aging adults with all sorts of tasks, including preparing meals that are safe and delicious. Rotating proteins and keeping up with what seniors enjoy and what they don’t also helps to make meals enjoyable.

 

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering Senior Home Care in Springfield, VA, please contact the caring staff at Thrive Health Care Services today. (703) 992-0484